Buffalo is the largest American city where residents and visitors can't get around using ride-hailing services like Lyft or Uber. It's not Buffalo's fault. The same is true in Syracuse and Rochester, and also in Albany a which, by the way, is where the fault lies.

That's because the only reason the towns and cities of Upstate New York are denied a form of transport available in 45 of the states in the union, is because our lawmakers have failed to act.

As a longstanding member of the Syracuse business community, I've watched and contributed to the redevelopment of vacant buildings in Syracuse; I've seen the city-center transformed into an epicenter for shopping, dining, and entertainment. I operate a fitness facility, Urban Life Athletics, and one of the recurring pain points in getting people into my business is the lack of convenient transportation to and from our facility, and parking. It deters many people from visiting and spending time downtown.

Legislation to lift the licensing and insurance restrictions barring ride-hailing services from providing a desperately needed transport service to our communities was presented in the state Senate and Assembly a year ago, but it has been languishing in Albany ever since. That's bad for business, bad for our quality of life and bad for our prospects of reviving the Upstate economy.

Lyft and Uber make it cheaper and easier for customers to get to our places of business at their convenience. And it's a no-brainer that our businesses do better when it's easier for customers to reach them. That's especially true in college towns where we need to more efficiently access the spending power of the student population. Interstate 81 separates Syracuse University (with more than 15,000 students) from downtown Syracuse. Very few students venture downtown due to inadequate parking, and a lack of feasible and convenient transportation.

It's worth noting that the student population throughout New York state has been crying out for the right to use ride-hailing because it would enable them to move between town and campus more frequently, cheaply and safely.

That's why the Student Assembly of the State University of New York has formally endorsed the legislative effort to lift the bar on ride-hailing. "I strongly urge our lawmakers in Albany to pass the requisite legislation to allow ride-sharing in all parts of the state," said Student Assembly President Thomas D. Mastro. "In addition to improving competition and keeping transportation companies fair and honest, ride-sharing expands student accessibility to additional resources."

It's not only students, of course. All people in our communities will find it cheaper, quicker and more convenient to travel more frequently into our shopping districts.

The expansion of transportation options generated by Uber and Lyft will not only boost the turnover in our stores and businesses, it will also allow local residents to earn extra income on a flexible schedule by using their own vehicles to ferry paying customers.

There have been studies that estimate that ride-hailing services would create 13,000 new freelance driving jobs in New York state in the first year of the restrictions being lifted.

Longer term, bringing our cities up to speed with what is now the norm in most American cities is vital if we're going to become a center of investment for 21st century businesses and bring a younger, better-paid work force to the Upstate economy. Twenty years ago, it would have been hard to imagine mobile young professionals settling in a town with no cable TV access. Ten years ago, it would have been hard to imagine them moving somewhere that had no cellphone service. Today, it's hard to see how they'd choose to live in towns where ride-hailing is barred.

Upstate tech entrepreneurs like CommerceHub CEO Frank Poore have expressed embarrassment that their investors and clients are unable to access Uber or Lyft when flying in to visit their companies. Many of our area's state representatives have also recognized the opportunity that ride-hailing services could bring for downtown. Sen. Dave Valesky and Assemblymen Al Stirpe were early supporters. Locally, Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner is on board as well. It would be the hope of the business community that our entire delegation would stand up in Albany to support transportation innovation for the city of Syracuse.

There's no question that ride-hailing significantly improves quality of life in towns and cities across America. It allows consumers greater convenience and choice by being able to request rides when they need them. And it allows drivers to earn extra money by providing those rides. The restrictions that prevent Uber and Lyft from operating in Upstate cities are holding back New York's economy. It's way past time for our elected representatives to vote away restrictions that make no sense.